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Larry Simmons had to patiently wait for his moment to shine.
After transferring from Southern Miss to a Utah team rebuilding its receiver room, Simmons’ integration into Jason Beck’s offense took time. Through the first six games of Utah’s season, Simmons had just three receptions for 55 yards and a touchdown.
The Southern Miss transfer did the only thing he could do, which was to keep his head down and keep working hard in practice, trusting that increased targets and receptions would arrive in due time.
“Larry has been a guy that has just continued to work hard. I’m sure he would’ve liked to have played more snaps in the first half of the season, but he never had a sulky attitude, never stopped working, just kept doing his thing,” said Utah coach Kyle Whittingham.
After zero catches in Utah’s blowout win over Arizona State, Simmons was more involved in the offense over the next couple of games. He had two catches for 26 yards and a touchdown in the Utes’ loss to BYU and two receptions for 39 yards and a touchdown in Utah’s 53-7 victory over Colorado.
It wasn’t until the final two games of the season, however, that Simmons really started to shine.
In Utah’s comeback win over Kansas State, Simmons made two of the most crucial catches of the game. With 3:40 remaining and the Utes down 10 and facing third and 22, it was Simmons springing open and making the grab to set up fourth and 1, which the Utes converted.
Later on the drive, quarterback Devon Dampier connected with Simmons, who made an excellent grab in the corner of the end zone, to bring Utah to within three points.
In the regular-season finale at Kansas, Simmons had his best game as a Ute, totaling 97 yards and two touchdowns on just three receptions. Each catch was memorable.
The first was a 21-yard toe-tapping sideline grab that stood after video review, much to the chagrin of Kansas fans at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium.
The other two went for touchdowns and were controversy-free.
A 29-yard reception by Simmons gave the Utes a 17-14 lead in the fourth quarter. The Ute receiver beat his man one on one down the sideline. Simmons put the game on ice later with a 48-yard catch on a third-and-5 play where Dampier faked like he was going to run it, only to step back and throw to a wide-open Simmons for the touchdown.
“I think the biggest credit, that’s to Larry, honestly,” Dampier said.
“I think Ryan (Davis) has been one of the standout receivers for us and for Larry to just stay on track, know his time’s going to come and when he did, he took full advantage of it.
“He wasn’t pouting, he wasn’t ever tripping during practice, always head down, working. So huge credit to him. We’ve been getting those practice reps all the time, so now that our time’s here, he’s been balling for sure.”
After his best game as a Ute, Simmons finished the regular season with 14 receptions for 271 yards and six touchdowns — the bulk of that yardage coming in the final two games of the season.
“He’s now had a very nice year. He’s got to have, what, six, seven touchdowns this year? And so he’s been a big part of our offense and credit to him for not just getting discouraged and go in the tank. He just kept at it,” Whittingham said.
Simmons’ late-season emergence conjures up memories of Zacharyus Williams in 2024, the Ute receiver that got his chance at the tail end of the season and had 10 receptions for 101 yards. By the time spring football came around next year, Williams was installed as the Utes’ No. 1 receiver. Instead, he transferred to USC, where he had three receptions for 80 yards this season.
If Simmons returns next year, he could be in line to become one of Dampier’s go-to receivers with Davis graduating.
JJ Buchanan (351 yards and four touchdowns on 22 receptions) took on more of a wide receiver role toward the end of the season and will move into that room next season. He’ll also be a candidate for increased targets.
Creed Whittemore (92 yards and one touchdown on 12 receptions) and Tobias Merriweather (130 yards on eight receptions) are the other wide receivers with production this season and eligibility remaining.
Salesi Moa, who flipped from Tennessee to Utah during Wednesday’s signing day, could see time right away as a receiver. The four-star is the second-highest-rated prospect the Utes have ever landed and is coming off a senior season at Fremont High with 63 receptions for 1,272 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Utah will be active in the transfer portal too, looking to land another difference-maker at the position.
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